kscans

Chapter 46 - If It's For Her Sake

Now then, let's take a brief detour to the Royal Palace of the Qua Kingdom—specifically, to a scene unfolding within the King's Office.

While Lupia and her family were settling into their new lives, word of Lupia's exceptional physical abilities, her sharp mind, and the fact that she was actively planning for her future had spread far and wide. She was a talented woman who had simultaneously completed her Crown Princess training and her education as the next duchess. There was no doubt she could hold her own against any man in the Knight Order. With her intelligence, she could become a model for other noble ladies or even a teacher. Then again, her fluency in foreign languages opened paths as an interpreter or a diplomat. She had a veritable buffet of options before her, but the one refrain heard over and over was, "Make her my son's bride!" Of course, the Calmond family was not informed of this. If they were, Aristerios would undoubtedly fly into a rage, and Lupia herself would simply decline with a beaming smile, saying, "I'll pass on that, thank you."

"So, why am I the one getting buried in these letters?"

"Because you're Lady Lupia's uncle, Your Majesty."

"Is that any reason to petition the king of a nation?"

"It's because you're the king that they want you to mediate. And more importantly, you're Lady Lupia's 'uncle.'"

"If I mediated, Lupia would end up hating me!"

"Well, I suppose that can't be helped."

His long-serving aide held nothing back. It was precisely why Rod was fond of him, but did he have to be so blunt...? The king let out a long, deep sigh. Besides, even if he tried to choose a marriage partner for his dear niece right now, she would refuse without a doubt. And not just a normal refusal—she would reject the notion with every fiber of her being. He didn't want to lose the ability to chat happily with his cute niece, and he certainly didn't want to do anything she'd dislike, which was why Rod's expression soured. On top of that, Lupia was in no state to be thinking about marriage. Now that her future had opened up so brightly, he wanted her to try all sorts of things, and he was sure she felt the same. Some of his vassals had suggested bringing her into the royal family, but wouldn't that just stir up painful memories? He hadn't invited her to this country to be used as a political tool. And yet, when he thought as a king, the words of his aide and the surrounding nobles had a point.

"Well, yes, you may be right, but..."

"Perhaps they believe Lady Lupia wouldn't outright refuse a request from you, Your Majesty?"

"Don't be ridiculous. That girl will state loud and clear that she doesn't want what she doesn't want."

"You see? They've only seen one side of her. They aren't aware of that fact."

"Besides, I don't want Lupia to hate me."

"Just how much do you adore your niece, Your Majesty?"

"What's wrong with doting on family? She's adorable, isn't she?"

Rod chuckled triumphantly, and his aide nodded, thinking, Same as always. It was true she was cute because she was family, but the real reason was likely that she was the daughter of his beloved, doting younger sister. In the end, though, it all boiled down to the simple fact that cute is cute, and that's all there was to it.

As for the fools who believed the rumors about them... about Lupia... he punished them without hesitation. He was amazed that anyone would believe such baseless gossip.

He had wondered what they would do in the Qua Kingdom and how they would forge their own paths, but a picture was already beginning to form. Rupert would likely start some sort of joint business with his fiancée; he also had the option of becoming a knight, so he too was in high demand. Not that he had any desire whatsoever to pursue power. Not in the slightest. He'd been asked if that was appropriate for a former duke's son, but his response was, "I don't want something I'm not suited for and don't even desire forced upon me." Meanwhile, Aristerios was likely to join the Knight Order, much like his previous post. He had sparred with the current Knight Commander and, though it was a close match, had emerged victorious. The meritocratic Knight Commander had apparently declared at the top of his lungs, "I would be honored to follow you, my lord!!"

As an aside, Rod had also heard that the knights Lupia had thoroughly beaten, including their leader, were now clamoring for her to join them or asking her to train them. He made sure to put his foot down—if they wanted training, they should ask Aristerios, not Lupia.

This father-daughter pair has a tendency to attract people with their overwhelming strength, Rod thought, rubbing his temples. The only people who knew of this particular headache were his aide and his wife.

"How is Millière?"

"She's being flooded with invitations from every noble house imaginable."

"And Rupert?"

"I believe he's preparing to welcome his fiancée. It's presumed they will hold their wedding ceremony here."

"I see. And what about the main event, Lupia?"

"Apparently, she's been deep in thought lately."

"Deep in thought...?"

He didn't want her to hate him, but with his vassals pressuring him, he had considered broaching the subject of the marriage proposals, just to see what would happen. But if his niece was contemplating something, then all other matters would have to be put on hold.

"What's she thinking about?"

"Who knows..."

He had heard about the treatment Lupia had received in her home country, and something about it felt off—a nagging inconsistency. The fact that the country itself had nullified an engagement that served as a bond between nation and house was, in a way, an incident in itself. Who would want to maintain relations with a country that constantly flip-flopped on its decisions and agreements? The nations involved in trade with them were not pleased, worried that any disagreement could lead to a canceled contract.

"...Could it have something to do with her former country?"

"I do not know. By the way, I should also report that Lady Lupia was aware that you had people watching over their movements on your orders."

"You should have said that sooner!"

"I have a message from Lady Lupia."

His aide continued, completely unfazed.

"She said, 'Uncle, please feel free to summon me whenever you have need of me.'"

"I'll write a letter. Have it delivered. And send some sweets or something that Lupia and Millière might like."

"As you wish."

"And tell her I wish to invite her as family, not as the king... No, I'll write it in the letter myself."

"That would be for the best."

He pulled a sheet of stationery from his desk drawer and concisely wrote down his message. Folding it in half and placing it in an envelope, he ordered it delivered to Lupia. After watching his aide depart, he leaned back heavily into his chair.

His thoughts turned to the ordeal Lupia had endured in her former country.

It was one thing for the nation to so easily overturn an official engagement, but for her to have supposedly done something as disgraceful as clinging to her former fiancé... it was so out of character, he could only think she must have lost her mind.

Furthermore, he imagined they must be panicking by now.

Events were moving far faster than they could have possibly imagined.

The family that had protected the nation was gone. Every last branch of the family, down to the most distant relatives, had completely and utterly pulled out of that country. Swiftly and silently. Lupia's situation had been the final push, making them all too eager to pack up everything, as if to say, Well, this is convenient. Of course, they had handled the transition of their duties, but their successors would surely understand that things could no longer be done as they had been before.

And it wasn't just the Qua Kingdom. They had acquaintances everywhere, so they followed their connections and scattered. The main family to the Qua Kingdom, the branch families spread out to various other places. But they had arranged it so they could all stay in contact. Millière had reported this to him. She was being considerate, not wanting to cause trouble for the country that had taken them in, which was a great help.

"Now then, I suppose I'll ask Lupia what she wants to do with this letter."

It was a letter from Falty, the girl who had become the Crown Princess of that nation—the one who had hurt his precious, adorable niece—announcing her visit. The date was still a ways off, but he couldn't risk upsetting her. Not Falty, but Lupia.

"'A greeting as a friend,' is it? ...Don't make me laugh."

Duke and Duchess Calmond had told him: 'Falty-Ardia is the one who was manipulating Lupia.' He was curious as to what she did and how she did it, so he'd have to ask her directly. But since the very cause of this mess was coming to him, he supposed he'd have to entertain her. Rod smirked.

And silently, he continued his thought.

You have no idea, Falty, but Lupia is loved and cherished by an incredible number of people. You will learn firsthand that you picked a fight with the wrong person.

Lupia, too, was staring at a letter that had been delivered to her.

Who placed it here? And when?

As she read the sender's name and its contents, all emotion vanished from her eyes.

Do they want to provoke me that badly? she thought, her hand crushing the edge of the letter. She didn't care that the paper was crumpling. She couldn't care less.

"...................I'll crush them."

No one heard the words spoken in a flat, emotionless whisper.

And no one could have predicted that this would be the first, and quite possibly the greatest, time Lupia would ever truly snap.